DETROIT – There were times Friday night when it appeared Randy Johnson and Jorge Posada were not even reading the same book, never mind being on the same page.

Johnson stepped off seven times in five innings as he and Posada tried to get in sync against the Tigers, who ripped Johnson for seven runs and nine hits, including two homers.

It was the first time since June 6 that Posada had caught Johnson; manager Joe Torre paired Johnson with John Flaherty in his last four outings. It’s a marriage Torre said last night he will likely go back to.

“I will probably [use Flaherty],” Torre said of Johnson’s next start, which will be against the Orioles on three days’ rest Tuesday. “That really wasn’t fair to Jorge because he hadn’t caught [Johnson] in four games. He’s not easy.”

Johnson and Posada having trouble reminded Torre of the way Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez and Posada used to have similar troubles getting together.

“He hasn’t said anything to me about having problems,” Posada said of Johnson. “We are trying to get it right. We need this guy and I want to help him out.”

Johnson (7-6) will be going on three days’ rest for the first time in the regular season since 1995.

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When Paul Quantrill and Mike Stanton were designated for assignment Wednesday night, it was generally assumed they were untradeable and would be free agents in 10 days.

Stanton had a blanket no-trade clause and Quantrill’s numbers were very poor. But early yesterday morning, Yankees GM Brian Cashman shipped Quantrill to the Padres for left-hander Darrell May and right-hander Tim Redding. The Padres sent the Yankees $400,000 to bring the salaries to within a $100,000 difference.

Quantrill makes $3 million this year with a $400,000 buyout. May makes $3.2 million and Redding $750,000.

May and Redding were on San Diego’s big-league roster until Friday night, when they were outrighted to the Padres’ Triple-A affiliate in Portland, Ore. They will remain in the minors for now, reporting to Triple-A Columbus.

“You don’t know,” Cashman said. “You talk and things happen. With this one, hopefully we both run into something. They are insurance policies for us.”

Dealing Stanton will be more difficult since he has to approve any move. His hometown Astros have expressed interest, but it was unclear if they will make a trade offer or wait until Stanton is free.

“Absolutely,” he said of his interest in the Astros yesterday when he landed in Houston with his family. “That and other contending clubs.”

May, 33, was 1-3 with a 5.61 ERA in 22 games (eight starts). Redding, 27, was 0-5 with a 9.10 ERA in nine games (six starts).

Quantrill, who will join the Padres today, appeared in 22 games, had a 6.75 ERA and gave up 48 hits in 32 innings.

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Unless Gary Sheffield, Hideki Matsui and Derek Jeter closed a lot of ground in the voting, Alex Rodriguez will be the only Yankee voted to the All-Star team when the squads are announced tonight.

Jeter was second in the next-to-last balloting and Sheffield and Matsui were fifth and sixth, respectively.

No Yankee starting pitcher is likely to be selected. Mariano Rivera is the Yankees pitcher with the best chance of being named. Jorge Posada could make the team as Jason Varitek‘s backup, but the Tigers’ Ivan Rodriguez was second in the previous balloting, and the game is in Detroit.

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The Yankees elevated center fielder Kevin Thompson from Double-A Trenton, where he was hitting .330 with 11 HRs and 41 RBI, to Columbus yesterday. Thompson will shift to a corner spot since Melky Cabrera was moved from Trenton to Columbus to play center field last week.

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The Yankees managed to get something for Paul Quantrill, who they had designated for assignment earlier this week, trading the righty reliever to the Padres for lefty Darrell May and righty Tim Redding.